| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
24 Feb 2010 : Column 644W—continued
Women and Equality
Departmental Communication
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2009, Official Report, column 351W, on Equality and Human Rights Commission: public relations, what payments the Commission has made to (a) Positif Politics and (b) APCO Worldwide since its establishment; on what dates and for what purposes; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the contracts under which such payments were made. [315616]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has provided the following information about its payments.
A total of two payments were made to Positif Politics between May and June 2008 for staff training sessions, including seminars on local government elections and the Welsh Assembly legislative system
£233.83 paid 5 May 2008 (£199.00 plus £34.83 VAT)
£233.83 paid 24 June 2008 (£199.00 plus £34.83 VAT)
A total of three payments were made to APCO Worldwide between January and June 2008 for work undertaken during the transition period between May and October 2007 when the new commission was being set up. This included the development of a campaign programme which enabled the EHRC to raise awareness of its profile and highlight its key priorities across a range of audiences
£28,044.02 paid on 16 January 2008 (£23,867.25 plus £4,176.77 VAT)
£28,032.80 paid on 20 February 2008 (£23,857.70 plus £4,175.10 VAT)
£28,059.49 paid on 4 June 2008 (£23,880.42 plus £4,179.07 VAT)
Contracts are Commercial in Confidence and as a consequence will not be placed in the Library.
Equality and Human Rights Commission: Business Interests
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality which organisations have received funding from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) where a Commissioner or employee of the EHRC (a) is a member of and (b) has a financial or other interest in the organisation concerned. [309946]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) does not collect information pertaining to the membership or other interests of its staff.
The Commission's grant assessment framework requires all staff involved in the assessment process to declare their interests and to abstain from any discussions, debate or assessment related to applications where a conflict of interest might arise.
Of the 61 organisations to be funded in 2009-10, staff interests were declared in relation to the following five organisations:
The Lesbian and Gay Foundation
Lincolnshire YMCA
Living Options Devon
Families Need Fathers
The Runnymede Trust
However none of the staff involved in the assessment process had a financial interest in any organisation funded by the Commission.
The Commission does collect information pertaining to the membership or other interests of its Board of Commissioners.
One member of the Board of Commissioners had an interest in a funded organisation in 2009-10 (as chief executive of Stonewall). This interest was declared and the Commissioner was not involved in the grant assessment panel, the Grants Committee, or any other board level decisions on grant funding.
Eight new Commissioners' appointments took effect on 4 December 2009 and the register of interests pertaining to these individuals is being compiled. However, these Commissioners played no role in the round of grant-making referred to.
Faith Schools
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether provision will be included in the Equality Bill to permit any publicly funded faith schools to require teaching staff to promote the ethos of the relevant religious faith; and if she will make a statement. [318476]
Maria Eagle: We would expect all staff at schools to act in accordance with the ethos of their school, as we would expect them to maintain standards of behaviour and a high educational standard.
The Equality Bill maintains exceptions contained in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA), which permit faith schools to discriminate on religious grounds in relation to certain staff. These exceptions are different according to the different types of maintained faith schools.
Voluntary aided schools may apply religious criteria to all applicants to teaching posts. Voluntary controlled and foundation schools are required to have reserved teachers who are appointed specifically to teach religious education. These reserved teachers must be appointed for their fitness and competence to teach religious education according to the tenets of the relevant faith; they may account for up to a fifth of all the teaching staff and may include the head teacher. In these schools such religious criteria cannot be applied to any other teaching posts.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether provision will be included in the Equality Bill to empower governors of any publicly funded faith school to decline employment to staff or applicants for teaching posts who are not prepared to teach pupils in accordance with the ethos on values of the relevant religious faith. [318477]
Maria Eagle: The Equality Bill maintains exceptions contained in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA), which permit faith schools to discriminate on religious grounds in relation to certain staff. These exceptions are different according to the different types of maintained faith schools. Voluntary aided schools may apply religious criteria to all applicants to teaching posts.
Voluntary controlled and foundation schools are required to have reserved teachers who are appointed specifically to teach religious education. These reserved teachers must be appointed for their fitness and competence to teach religious education according to the tenets of the relevant faith; they may account for up to a fifth of all the teaching staff and may include the head teacher. In these schools such religious criteria cannot be applied to any other teaching posts.
Children, Schools and Families
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of schools that have received Building Schools for the Future funding have been (a) rebuilt, (b) remodelled and (c) refurbished. [316585]
Mr. Coaker: Of 146 schools that have benefited from Building Schools for the Future funding, 91 are deemed to be new build (built on 70 per cent. or more of the floor area). This provides for 62 per cent. of the total number of schools.
14 schools have benefited from major remodelling (50-70 per cent. of floor area) and 16 from minor remodelling (20-50 per cent. of the floor area). This provides for 21 per cent. of the total number of schools.
Six schools are deemed to be refurbished (0-20 per cent. of the floor area). This provides for 4 per cent. of the total number of schools.
19 schools (13 per cent.) have received funding for ICT only.
Citizenship: Hemsworth
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people in Hemsworth constituency have received lessons on citizenship since that subject was made part of the national curriculum. [316714]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: Citizenship is a part of the national curriculum which is compulsory for all pupils registered at maintained secondary schools. We do not collect data on the delivery of any curriculum subject and therefore cannot say how many young people have received lessons on citizenship in Hemsworth since it became a compulsory subject in 2002.
Class Sizes: Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average staff to pupil ratio is in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Milton Keynes. [315372]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The following table provides the pupil:adult ratios for local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Milton Keynes local authority, January 2009.
| Within school pupil:adult ratio (PAR)( 1) in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools. Year: January 2009. Coverage: Milton Keynes local authority | |
| PAR | |
| (1) The within school PAR is calculated by dividing the total full-time equivalent (FTE) number of pupils on roll in schools by the total FTE number of all teachers and support staff employed in schools, excluding administrative and clerical staff. Source: School Census | |
Departmental Accountancy
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any written instructions have been provided to the Accounting Officer for his Department and its predecessors in accordance with paragraph 5.5 of the Ministerial Code since May 1997. [315315]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: I can confirm that no written instruction has been provided from Ministers to the Department's current Accounting Officer or his predecessors, since May 1997, in respect of an action that could be considered to breach the requirements of propriety or regularity.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost to the public purse was of the principal staircase connecting the ground floor and the restaurant at his Department's offices at Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith street. [302667]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The costs incurred for the staircase to link the ground floor and lower ground floor, where the Department's meeting rooms, library, restaurant and drop-in work facilities are situated, was £191,917. The work increased the usable floor area of the lower ground floor by 13 per cent.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether (a) his Department and (b) associated non-departmental public bodies plan to sign up to the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon usage in 2010; and if he will publish the (i) criteria and (ii) research upon which such a decision will be taken. [312568]
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies for which he has responsibility intend to sign up to the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon usage; and if he will publish the research or criteria on which decisions about participation in the campaign have been based. [312471]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: DCSF Headquarters (comprising our main buildings at Runcorn, Darlington, Sheffield and London) has signed up to the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon usage. Information is not held centrally on whether the Department's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) intend to sign up.
Within the Department, there is support from the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for the 10:10 climate campaign. Trajectories for carbon savings are monitored as part of reporting DCSF progress towards meeting Sustainable Development in Government carbon reduction targets. A review of the portfolio of projects targeted at reducing carbon considered projected CO2 savings for 2010 sufficient to meet the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon usage.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in 2009. [318051]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The cost for consultants, both for the Department and its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies, cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Departmental Cost Effectiveness
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will break down the proposed £350 million of savings from his Department and its non-departmental public bodies, as referred to on page 110 of the pre-Budget report, Cm 7747; and if he will make a statement. [307592]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: While we have yet to determine exactly how these additional savings will be delivered, we will be working across the Department and with our NDPBs to identify the most effective way to achieve them without damaging outcomes for children, young people and families yet to determine.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department and its predecessor in each year since 2003. [306454]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: In the Department the following amounts were paid as non-consolidated performance related awards in each year since 2003.
| Performance year | Total of non-consolidated payments (£ million) |
The information for 2003-04 to 2006-07 refers to the former Department for Education and Skills (DFES).
Non-consolidated performance payments are subject to strict criteria in line with the Government's policy on public sector pay. Senior civil service non-consolidated payments are determined as part of a central performance management framework managed by the Cabinet Office. Payments for other grades are subject to the pay remit process and reflect previous pay settlements. Non-consolidated performance payments have to re-earn each year and do not add to future pay bill costs (e.g. pensions) and are an integral element of the reward package for staff.
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the (a) average and (b) highest non-consolidated performance-related payment in cash terms was for senior civil servants in his Department and its predecessor, in each of the last five years. [308056]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The information requested is set out in the following table:
| £ | ||
| (a) average non-consolidated performance related payment for senior civil servants | (b) highest non-consolidated performance related payment for senior civil servants | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |